Wanting, Seeking, Needing, Finding
by Zaeria
Summary: Changed title. Crossover w Harry Potter. Not sure if it's in the right genre, either. More info in Author's Note. Read it, don't, it's all up to you.
1. Disclaimer and A Warning

Okay, so I've finally given in to the (blackmailing) coaxing of a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, because I really, really despise her right now. T-T With a friend like her, I don't need enemies. Anyhow, this is a crossover. Don't like it, don't read it. This also takes place following the events of Order of the Phoenix. Meaning, of course, that everything that happened there (the major things) happened here as well (a certain person's death, for example). I'll try to maintain the characters and the timelines, but am warning you now that I will take liberties with them, especially since I have plans for the little pretties. ::Insert evil laughter here::. Artistic license (if it could be called that…) will be gratuitously used. Again, don't like it, don't read it.

Disclaimer: Neither the characters of the 'Harry Potter' Universe nor the characters of the 'Sailor Moon' Dimension belong to me. They belong to their respective creators. I'm just…borrowing…them for the time being. Reviews will be perused, and pondered over. Comments, criticisms, and flames all accepted.

Warning to people who don't like yaoi/yuri: THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING. IT IS MY STORY, DAMNIT, AND THERE WILL BE HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONS IN IT.If you don't like that sort of thing, then don't read this. I've read too many reviews for other writers out there where they got flamed for writing about 'unnatural' relations. If after reading this you still feel the need to write something scathing to me about what I choose to write about, be my guest. I need a laugh.

Okay…done now. Go on to the story. Go. Shoo. Away with ye!


	2. Setting the Stage

A.N.: See first chapter for Disclaimer. Plus, does anyone know how I can keep the ellipses from disappearing?!

Albus Dumbledore gave a supremely wearied sigh. His normally twinkling blue eyes gazed dully at the piles of parchment littering his desk as he absently unwrapped a Lemon Drop, thinking over the events so recently transpired. It seemed like such a long time had passed…. His decision to withhold the damned Prophesy from Harry, and the tragedy that it lead up to. The pain that even now had not dulled in the slightest… He lifted a piece of parchment from a pile.

'Muggles remain unawares…Privet Drive safe…Potter fine though depressed, often unresponsive…almost lifeless…'

Losing his godfather, knowing it was partly his own fault that Sirius had been at the Ministry that day, had caused him to withdraw into a shell. Not even his best friends could provoke much response from the grieving young man. Remus, the only other person who truly knew what Harry was going through, was the only person who could even remotely get Harry to stir, but he had his own problems to deal with. Dumbledore placed the daily report on Harry's condition aside, and picked up another letter; this one an official Ministry one, with an attached Order report.

'Successful raid of reported Death Eater gathering…minimal casualties among Aurors and Order Agents…key figures captured: MacNair, Pettigrew…'

'Mr. Remus J. Lupin…most profuse apologies on behalf of the Ministry of Magic…your partner, Sirius Black, cleared of all crimes accused…'

Almost bitterly, Dumbledore tossed both articles aside. Bloody lot of good it did, apologizing and pardoning a dead man. Sirius Black was gone, through the Veil at the Department of Mysteries, and his life-mate left behind once again. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had been 'married' before the Potters' death, therefore the letter being addressed to Remus, but there was more than that. Werewolves mated for life; it had very nearly killed Remus the first time, when Sirius had been accused of betraying the Potters and murdering the Muggles, and thrown in Azkaban. Only Harry's presence this time around had prevented the man from following his mate through the Veil. The werewolf transformations since that day had been exceedingly difficult, even with the Wolfsbane potion. Before, Sirius had at least been alive. But the werewolf portion of Remus' mind could sense that its mate was truly gone now. Dumbledore knew well that the only reason that Remus had not given up was because of Harry…the young man, arguably last of the werewolf's 'pack,' needed him, as the last true member of his family. Even so, the sheer agony that the werewolf exuded, backed by both the man and the wolf's grief, broke the hearts of all who heard the howls.

Hogwarts had become the temporary Order headquarters, as 12 Grimmwauld Place was no longer secure with the Lestranges' freedom. This made Molly Weasley express her desire to bring Harry to headquarters to celebrate his birthday, which was in five days. Dumbledore agreed that Harry might need some cheering up, and though he knew that it would probably do little good, seeing as the only thing Harry could possibly want was impossible to obtain, acquiesced to Mrs. Weasley's demands. Even at this moment, Molly, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were preparing for the surprise birthday party. 

Fawkes gave a trilling chirp, bringing Dumbledore out of his reverie. It was then that he realized there was a tiny silvery orb floating above his desk. The phoenix flew from its perch, and pecked at the orb, causing a bright spark. When the spots faded from his eyes, Dumbledore saw a sealed scroll, saturated with an unusual magic, on his desk atop the piles of parchment and reports. Fawkes picked at the scroll with its beak when Dumbledore made no move towards it, and taking the hint, Dumbledore shook himself out of his shock and picked it up. The seal was vaguely familiar; an eight pointed Silver Star with a gold crescent moon center. It was made of an unidentifiable crystalline metal, and came off easily in his hands. Dumbledore unrolled the scroll, fingering the medallion as he read the flowing script. He soon sat back in shock, trying to process what he'd read. Something tugged at his memory, and on impulse, he pocketed to seal and left his office, intent on retrieving something from the Restricted section of the Library. He left the scroll on his desk, and Fawkes took the opportunity to peer at it while chirruping at Dumbledore's strange behavior. The symbol next to the signature on the bottom gave a red flare as a feather brushed against it, and sparkling silver misty shape came from the center.

"It is almost time. Fawkes, Phoenix of Fire and Light, now is the time to summon the rest of the Guardians. Remember the Four Kings…" the tiny figure said. Fawkes gave a cry of understanding, and as the silver sparkles disappeared, the Phoenix flew out the window.


	3. Enter Players, Part 1

A.N.:::Blinks:: O.O Well. Would you look at that. I have reviewers! ^__^ Thanks for the support, LadyKatherine16, Firenze. Here's the next part of the fic. Glad you find the beginning interesting.

Minerva McGonagall was astonished to see the esteemed Headmaster dashing pell-mell down the corridor towards the Library. She raised a hand to address him, but he spoke first as he rushed by.

"Minerva! Hello, pardon me, but I must find something from the Restricted Section. Please call a meeting of all available Hogwarts staff and Order Members, Meeting Room, as soon as possible!" This was said in a hurry, and with a bewildered expression on her face, the Deputy Headmistress looked on as the Headmaster's bright blue robes billowed behind him as he hurried down the hall. 

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The staff and the Order members sat about the table in the Meeting room, murmuring in low voices to each other, wondering what had happened to cause this unscheduled meeting. They quieted upon Dumbledore's arrival, the merry expression on his face and the bright twinkling of his eyes telling them without words that whatever news it was that he had, it was good news. Dumbledore placed a thick, rather old, ornately decorated book on the table in front of him gently, placing atop it a scroll of some sort, and a silvery object on top of that.

"What izzat?" Alastor Moody growled, his magical eye spinning wildly in its socket. "Those things reek of ancient magic! That thing on top the most…it's nearly blinding my eye!" Dumbledore smiled beatifically.

"This" He said in a delighted tone of voice "is what will help turn the tide in favor of the Light." He motioned to the scroll. "I received this letter earlier, and what the sender tells me is news that is beyond wonderful."

"Albus, what is so wonderful about a letter?" McGonagall asked, confused. Dumbledore laughed merrily, a sound that truthfully had not been heard since before Voldemort's return.

"My dear Minerva…the letter is from the Lady of the Stars herself! She has pledged her help to us against Voldemort! In return for our help, of course…" He said, ignoring the wince that went around the room at Voldemort's name.

"You're daft." Snape spoke up harshly. The man was paler and more haggard than normal, his spying taking a toll on him. "The 'Lady of the Stars' is a myth…a mere legend is of no use to us."

"Severus, I assure you that this is no joke. This letter is the genuine article, and the Lady and her companions will be of great help to us." He held up a hand to forestall another protest from a different person. "This seal" he held up the small medallion "is the crest of the Lady herself. No records of it remain outside of this book" here he held up the old book that he'd brought; The Legends of the Silver Millennium: A History of Pure Magic "and this book is the only one in existence." He placed the book back on the table, and opened it to a page near the center of the old tome. "According to the letter…" he said, "to reply I just…" Placing the small seal atop the diagram drawn in delicate metallic colors on the page, he needn't have continued. The moment the seal touched the page the diagram flared in bright colors, and a voice could be heard throughout the room. Echoing from nowhere, and everywhere, the delicate, silvery, and incredibly powerful voice was much like the Song of a Phoenix, soothing, peaceful. It had a relaxing and healing effect on those present.

"Have you decided to help us, then, Headmaster Dumbledore?" it asked.

"Of course…but if I may, could I ask you to say a few words? To reassure my colleagues, you see. They do not believe in your existence." Dumbledore said, a note of humor in his voice. The voice laughed, a light, sparkling sound.

"I am Serenity, or Cosmos, if you prefer. Also known as the Lady of the Stars, I believe. The 'business' that I speak of in my letter is personal to my senshi; all I can say is that it involves people connected to Hogwarts. In return for your services, my senshi and I will help you in your battle against your Evil. If you are willing, we will arrive in three days time in your Great Hall as the waxing moon rises."

"Thank you. We will await your arrival, Lady." With this, the diagram once again flared, and a Phoenix' song could be heard throughout the room. Once it faded, Dumbledore looked about at the shocked, silent faces of those present. "Three days…"

A.N.: Well, chapter 2 is done for you. Questions, comments, concerns, send them on over. Sorry for the length of the submission; I actually have a lot more than this written, but it's undergoing heavy revisions, seeing as I never actually _planned_ on posting any of it. ^_^;


	4. Enter Players, Part 2

A.N.: Yep. Time jump. I find writing out what happened in the three day interval a bore to write out (seeing as in my mind, nothing much really happens. You know, the usual things that happen. Whatever… ^_^;). Eh…I'm getting this chapter out rather quickly. Then again…I am procrastinating on my final project…

            Dinner that night was a hushed affair. There was an undeniable sense of anticipation in the air. As soon as the last dish had been cleared, Dumbledore rose and began to speak.

            "As you have doubtlessly heard by now, some guests will be arriving tonight that will help us in our battle against Voldemort (a collective wince) and his Death Eaters. I encourage you to stay to welcome them, the Lady of the Stars, and her Senshi." He waved his wand, and the dinner tables disappeared only to reappear lined against the walls of the Hall, laden with light refreshments.

Some people left, mostly Aurors and Agents who had to replace those just arriving, but most milled about making small talk. Moody was pacing in agitation, his eye whirling madly in his paranoia. Snape stood in a shadowed corner of the room scowling darkly and unconsciously rubbing his forearm, where the Dark Mark tingled unpleasantly. Remus had been convinced by Dumbledore to leave his rooms for the night, and was looking very pale and wan. Still in a deep depression over Sirius' death, made all the more painful by the Ministry's pardon, he nevertheless made attempts to answer to McGonagall and Pomphry's well-meaning queries. Sprout and Tonks were listening 'patiently' to a wailing Trelawney, who didn't notice Tonks' subtle face mimicries of her were causing Hooch to snigger uncontrollably into her goblet. Molly Weasley stood nearby frowning in disapproval, but with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips (she had sent the children home to the Burrow). Firenze thoroughly confused Vector and Sinistra by speaking cryptically about the 'changing alignment of the stars.' Even some of the ghosts were in attendance, namely Nearly Headless Nick and the Hufflepuff Friar, who were in conversation with a few Order members.

            A surge of old magic could be felt in the Hall, and everyone fell silent, expectant, waiting. The very air seemed to thicken with the ancient magic. Out of nowhere, a ball of light appeared in the middle of the Hall, shining first silver, then a deep forest green and garnet. The light changed rapidly to an earthy brown-green and blue, sugary pink, and an opalescent white-gold before it began to flicker rapidly through varying colors. It went through gold-orange, dark purple, deep red, navy-yellow, emerald green, aquamarine, and ice blue before the first two colors returned and the ball grew in shape. It formed a doorway of some sort, engraved with the phases of the moon. The doors opened in a slowly fluid fashion, pouring out a gray fog that swirled over the floor.

From the grey void past the now open doorway came twelve cloaked and hooded figures. Each wore one of the colors that had been seen, the first two in navy-yellow and dark purple. The former held a bejeweled sword, while the latter held a deadly purple and lavender glaive taller than itself. The next two wore silver and forest green and garnet. These two looked around where the first two had not, and a pair of mysterious garnet red eyes locked onto Snape's own, something unidentifiable passing across them before the eyes broke away. The silver cloaked figure held a tall silvery staff, with a twinkling orb atop it, while the forest green and garnet garbed figure grasped a tall, ornate staff that gave the vague impression of being a massive key. Next came a figure in an earthy brown-green and blue, followed by a figure in aquamarine holding a trident. From the doors then came figures in deep red and ice blue, emerald green and golden-orange, and sugary pink and opalescent white-gold. Each of these last six was, like the fifth, apparently unarmed. The doors faded, and the magic in the air disappeared, but before anyone could make a move or say a word something unusual happened. The person in pink collapsed, the hood slipping back to reveal the face of a young girl. The one in gold-orange bent over to emit a faint cry of pain in a decidedly feminine voice. Almost instantly, the remaining hoods and cloaks were thrown back to reveal that two of the twelve were male, while the rest were females of varying ages. The young woman in emerald green caught the one in gold-orange with a cry of "Venus!" The younger man, with the white hair and orange-gold eyes caught the girl in pink, who sported silvery pink hair done up in a rather unusual style.

            "Mama…it hurts…" the girl whimpered. The girl in purple had gone to her side, glaive disappearing into thin air, and was glowing faintly purple. The regal woman in silver had knelt gracefully and was running fingers through the pink bangs.

            "Helios…the Moon Curse is close, and the evil here strong, but that should not have made my daughter pain thus…" she said in a familiar voice.

            "Cosmos, my love, the Earth is also crying out." The other man said, dark blue eyes worried.

            "His Majesty is correct…but there's something else…" The young woman in ice blue said, typing rapidly on a tiny blue object in her hands, a blue visor over her eyes.

            "Broken dreams, shattered Hope," the young man holding the pink girl murmured. "My Lady Cosmos, my Maiden is also being overwhelmed by the crying out of untold innocents, whose Dreams have been fragmented…"

            Meanwhile, the glow from the purple girl had concentrated in her gloved hands, and held over the pink girl's head and heart. As the purple color was absorbed, shockingly red eyes opened, and the pink whispered a soft "Thanks, Saturn."

            Venus had by now risen shakily to her feet, waving off the emerald green and deep red wearing young women with a slightly irritable "I'm fine, Jupiter, Mars." With a glazed look in her bright blue eyes, she walked to where Remus stood. All eyes followed her. No one made a move, for she was exuding a protectively warm, loving aura that spoke of nothing but comfort.

A.N.: Hmm. Wonder what Venus wants with Remus…hey! That rhymed! ^_^ Venus…Remus? -_-; Never mind. Hope you enjoyed this latest installation of my fic. I'm sure you can tell from the events above that there are set pairs, and there are possible ones. What thinkest thou? Drop me a line if you think you know what I'm thinking! (In which case, I feel very sorry for you, because my mind is **NOT** a fun place to be. I should know, I'm there.) Anyhow, the next chapter will be some time in coming (all the better to drag out the 'suspense') because you can probably tell from what I said above, it's finals week for me. Bleargh. Guess whose going to fail all her classes? I knew I spent too much time online…


	5. Hope, Introductions, and the Search

A.N.: Well, here's a longish chapter for you people (I can't concentrate on my Math **OR** my English reviews…). It's longer than the other chapters combined! I'm hoping that I can get this part out of my system, and be able to study tomorrow. Can you believe that my Math final is on _Sunday_? Crazy, I tell you. More so than _I_ am. ^__^ As a side note, there are several large paragraphs in this chapter. It is suggested that you increase the font size before reading. Sorry I couldn't tweak the spacing better.

PadFootCc: Well, here's the next part, so's you can see what happens next. Enjoy! ^_~

Aphrodite2: Wow, thanks for the compliment! Here's the next chapter, and you're right.

If people don't like what I'm planning to do with the little pretties…tough cookies. Enjoy!

LadyKatherine16: Wow, those are long reviews. ^__^ Let's see…what to respond to first.

Well, now I know why they call them school holidays: Holiday from school, so that fanfic writers can slave over their creations! I agree, Helios is pretty cute. Rawr. Too bad he's already taken…Um, I tried to explain Mamoru's 'asshole-ness' (pardon the language) in this section, but tell me if more elaboration is needed. I just may write an interlude of sorts explaining his behavior in more detail…^_~ Answers to your questions regarding the Senshi of Love and our poor Moony are down there too. The other questions…well, if I haven't answered them yet, I will later on. Thanks for your blessings on my finals! Kami-sama knows I'll need them…::grumblegrumblegrumble:: -_-; Enjoy the chapter!

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"So much sorrow…so much pain, Remus Lupin." She murmured, raising a gloved hand to brush over his haggard face, moving a lock of tawny brown-silver hair. Haunted golden brown eyes looked back at her in shock. "Soul crying out…more than human…Wolf?" A wince, and one hand went to her heart in pain, as the other was placed gently over Remus' own. "Yes…you are the one Cursed by the Moon. More than that, however, something more, else I would not have been drawn to you thus." She closed her eyes, speaking slowly with concentration, the tiara on her forehead emitting a faint golden orange glow. "Your soul-mate…your life…your Bonded. Gone…you believe him to be dead…" Pleading blue eyes snapped open and locked with his. "So weak…faint, nearly broken…but it is still there." She did not turn her head, but her raised voice was directed towards where the rest of the Senshi still stood. "Saturn, it's your realm? Yes, it is. Beyond the Veil, Sirius Black, so weak, still alive! The bond isn't completely broken, because he's still there. We can bring him back. We have to bring him back!" Her eyes did not waver, locked on Remus, whose eyes had filled with disbelieving tears at her words. "Believe." She said to him, the golden-orange encompassing her entire form, hair swirling and clothing ruffling with power as she stepped back a step. A faint shimmer appeared in front of Remus, a tattered and frayed cord of some sort, with a single shimmering thread, slender and taut, barely wider than a hair, leading off somewhere. The glowing Venus lightly touched this thread, infusing it with her power. This caused some of the frayed strands to wrap around the single thread, making it thicker, look stronger. Remus gave a gasp as the glow from Venus faded gently away in sparkles of golden orange, with it the visibly strengthened cord. He fell to his knees, burying head in hands as shoulders shook with sobs. Venus swayed dangerously, but steadied, kneeling next to Remus and placing her arms around him in a gentle hug.

"Siri…" It was muffled, but in the utter silence of the Hall, everyone could hear what Remus was saying through his tears and his hands. "He's…I…the Bond! I can feel him again! Siri's really there!" Molly Weasley gave a small sob of disbelief, as Tonks sat down heavily where she stood.

"Can you really?" Dumbledore spoke first, voice shaking slightly. He turned to the woman in silver, Cosmos, who had walked to his side during Venus' light show. "Can you bring Sirius Black back?" She frowned, thinking a bit, before gracing him with a dazzling smile.

"Yes, I believe we can Headmaster. Tomorrow, though, we still have introductions to do tonight, and it is late." Her eyes sparkled.

Dumbledore spoke with joy, in a trembling, laughter laced voice. "Then, my dear Lady, you have truly given us Hope."

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After everyone had shaken themselves out of their shock, and Remus had composed himself somewhat, Dumbledore conjured a large table at which everyone present could sit comfortably. "Now then," he began "I believe we have introductions to do?" With this, he introduced each person present, beginning with Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Transfigurations Professor and Head of Gryffindor House, and going through each of the professors and Order members present. Only three noticed Setsuna's narrowed gaze and slight jerk of the head when Dumbledore introduced Severus Snape, Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House, and Death Eater Spy. The Headmaster ended with "…and we heartily welcome you to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Cosmos stood, silver hair flowing gracefully and dark silvery-blue eyes sparkling. "We thank you for your welcome. My senshi and I look forward to aiding you in your battle against the Evil you face. I am Cosmos, Sailor Cosmos, also known as Serenity, High Princess of the White Moon of the Silver Millennium, Neo-Queen of the Moon and Earth, and this is my family and my Court. Endymion, High King of Terra, Neo-King of Earth and the Moon, my husband." The tall man with the black hair and blue eyes stood, giving a regal half bow before seating himself again. "Our daughter, Small Lady Serenity, Sailor Moon, Neo-Princess of the Moon and Earth." The silvery-pink haired girl with the impossibly red eyes stood and curtsied. "Her consort Helios, also known as Pegasus, High Priest of Elision and the Elysian Fields, Protector of Dreams." The young man who had caught young Serenity stood, light glinting off a glittering gold jewel in his forehead, and bowed. Wise golden-orange eyes gazed at the people in the room from under wavy white hair. "Minako, Senshi and Princess of Venus, planet of Love and Beauty. Leader of my Inner Court, with the power of light based on love." Venus stood, tossing her sparkling golden hair behind her and winking one blue eye at the assembled people. "Rei, Senshi and Princess of Mars, planet of Fire and Passion. Second in command, controller of fire and the Seer among us." The young woman in red stood and nodded sharply at the people, red highlights in her dark hair contrasting with the purple of her eyes. "Makoto, Senshi and Princess of Jupiter, planet of Lightning and Life. Third in command, wielder of thunder and an excellent cook." The tall young woman stood with a bounce in her step, brown hair in its ponytail swinging and emerald green eyes twinkling in greeting. "Ami, Senshi and Princess of Mercury, Planet of Genius and Ice. Fourth in command, with the ability to manipulate ice, and the resident strategist." Blushing lightly, the blue-haired, blue-eyed young woman stood and curtsied. "Hotaru, Senshi and Princess of Saturn, Planet of Death and Rebirth. Leader of my Outer Court. Her healing powers are unparalleled." The pale young girl with short dark purple hair and amethyst eyes stood, eyes lowered. "Haruka, Senshi and Queen of Uranus, Planet of the Wind and Sky. Second of the Outers, speed is her skill." The tall woman stood, short platinum yellow hair in disarray and a challenging spark in the navy blue eyes. "Michiru, Senshi and Queen of Neptune, Planet of the Sea and Grace. Third of the Outers, her music and art inspire." The elegant woman stood, a graceful smile on her lips, hair shimmering aquamarine, while her eyes were ocean blue-green. "Setsuna, Senshi and Princess of Pluto, Planet of Time and Space. Fourth of the Outers, she is the Guardian of Time, with secrets beyond measure." The tall woman stood, a small smile of mystery on her lips. Her long dark hair glimmered dark forest green, while her garnet eyes took in the seated witches and wizards, lingering slightly on the darkly hooded eyes of a certain Potions Master before moving on. Once she was seated once again, Cosmos continued with "I am sure that you have many questions for us; we will try to answer what we can."

Remus spoke first, still overwhelmed. "Si…Sirius fell through the Veil…how will you…?" He trailed off in a slightly shaking voice. Venus fielded this question.

"Saturn leads us through her Realm, though I guess Pluto would have to open the portal. That's her specialty. Cosmos gives the power, and I strengthen your Bond enough so that we can find your lover-boy!" She gave a victory sign, and Pluto visibly sighed in exasperation while Saturn shook her head slightly, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

"I notice that the senshi of Uranus and Neptune have planetary symbols, Sailor Moon has a crescent moon, within the faint outline of the Earth symbol, and you have an eight pointed Star, Lady Cosmos. Why do the other Senshi have tiaras?" Sinistra asked, curious. Uranus and Neptune looked at each other, while Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter looked sad. Mars hid her expression. Saturn did not react, and Pluto tensed imperceptibly.

"The answer to that question is the reason we seek your assistance." Pluto said tersely.

"Ah, the personal business that you spoke of." Dumbledore said sagely. Cosmos nodded.

"If there are no objections to telling them?" She received none from her Senshi, and continued. "Uranus and Neptune have ascended their thrones because they are married." Uranus took Neptune's hand almost possessively. "Based on ancient Lunarian law, an heir is not crowned, even though they rule, until they are wedded. Upon their crowning, they receive their full powers, and a tiara is no longer necessary. The reason we are here, besides the fact that this Voldemort" Cosmos almost snickered at the winces the name brought about "person needs to be stopped, is that the four Kings are nearby…"

"Four Kings?" McGonagall spoke up, frowning.

"The Four Kings: Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoicite, of the North, East, South, and West. My Guards. Generals, consorts and soul mates of the Inner Senshi." Endymion spoke up. "They were killed in the Fall of the Silver Millennium. We believed that they had turned to evil…falsely it turns out. The four Dark Generals were merely Beryl's clones…the Kings were never actually reawakened."

"Of what do you speak of, your Majesty?" Someone asked. Pluto stood, her key staff materializing out of thin air in her hands.

"My Lord…with your permission, I shall show them." At Endymion's nod, Pluto summoned a portal, through which the key events of the Senshi's lives involving the General-Kings were seen: the first meeting of Senshi and Kings, and the blossoming romance between the two groups in the Silver Millennium. The subsequent Fall of the Silver Millennium, Dark Generals at the fore of the attack. The death of each Senshi at the hands of her former lover, and the sacrifice of the Queen and the rebirth of the Senshi. The first battles against Beryl and the clones in the reincarnated lives were shown, and finally the deaths of the clones. It was clear that a long span of time passed before the next scene, because the outfits of the Senshi were different, and they seemed to have aged as well, though not by much. This showed a tiny fairy Queen, bearing a strong resemblance to Cosmos and Moon, in the center of a room made of crystal. As they watched, they saw the assembled Senshi (excluding Moon and Helios) transported to a dark, dank chamber where four men, battered, bruised, and bleeding sluggishly from various wounds, were chained to the walls. They were barely recognizable as the Four Kings. It was a hologram of sorts, because when the Senshi tried to move, they couldn't. Before their eyes a dark shape formed in front of each of the men, quickly changing and taking on their characteristics. Once the clones had finished, their first undertaking involved absorbing the essences of the four chained men, the true Generals. This was done in a manner involving swords through various vital organs. During the draining, the four tried to manipulate the energy flow into the clones in an attempt to change the clones enough so that the difference would be discernable, but apparently it didn't work. The transfer ended, and the four Dark Generals teleported away, leaving the dead and dying bodies of the true Generals, the Four Kings, behind. Here, Pluto closed the viewing portal. Venus had her head downcast, bangs hiding her eyes. Jupiter was very quiet and subdued, eyes dull. Mercury had tears falling silently down her face, and Mars was stony, only her stiff posture betraying her inner anguish. Everyone was quiet. 

"My Generals, the Four Kings of Terra." Endymion spoke up, breaking the silence. Next to him, Cosmos laid her head on his shoulder in a show of silent support. One of his hands was entwined within both of hers. "After their…death…their souls were among those that strayed. We did not find this information out until much later." He took a deep breath, as if to brace himself. "What you have just seen, the power transfer? That caused a piece of the Generals' souls, as well as their powers, to be transferred to the clones. The manipulations that they performed with the last of their life energies _did_ cause slight changes, but it wasn't enough. What little souls that the Dark Generals stole served to effectively mask their deception."

"All of our sensors, our Bonds, indicated that the Dark Generals were in fact our beloved." Mercury said softly. "For those reasons…we could not tell that Beryl's Dark Generals Malachite, Jedite, Nephlite, and…Zoysite…were not the Kings Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, and…Zoicite…" Here she broke off in a soft half-sob as Endymion nodded in agreement.

"My link, too, with my protectors was fooled. I had felt great pain, as if the link had been broken, but believed that to have originated from their 'betrayal.' Little did I know…" Endymion sighed. He leaned his head to rest on Cosmos'. "This link, similar to the one that my Usako shares with her senshi, remained diverted to the Dark Generals after our reincarnation. Because the Kings' souls were sent to a different dimension, and the Dark Generals to our own, my soul instinctively latched on to the bits of soul that the Dark Generals still possessed." He smirked slightly, a sadly wistful expression. "The backwash of negative energy allowed the Dark Kingdom to capture me, time and time again, and turn me against my love. Even after the clones had been dispatched, however…I felt empty." Here, he looked up to explain. "In the Silver Millennium, my Generals and I grew up together much as the Inners and their Princess did. We were closer than brothers were, it seemed. In my incarnation as Chiba Mamoru, I grew up missing that closeness. When Usako offered me her love…I was afraid. I doubted my love for her; I felt that I was using her freely given light to fill that empty part of myself. That's why I was a bastard. I unconsciously tried to push her aside. Some part of me believed that she would be able to find someone who would _truly_ love her, instead of merely using her as I thought I was. Much as it pains me to admit it, I doubted the purity of our love. So I broke up with her again and again, and even moved to America for college."

"The then-Prince was incredibly lucky I wasn't there when he broke Koneko's heart…" Uranus spoke up. She glared momentarily at the King, before Neptune nudged her in the side. Endymion smiled softly in the slightly irate woman's direction.

"During Usako's battle with Galaxia, she somehow figured out what I had been unconsciously doing. When we were brought back from Death once more, she confronted me; set me straight, so to speak." He turned and placed a kiss on the top of Cosmos' head.

"Damn straight I did." Cosmos said. "With the power that I was wielding at the moment, I read from his starseed what he had tried to do all along. Accessing Venus' powers of Love, as well as Mars' Sight and Pluto's Time, I showed my idiot lover that I loved him no matter what, come hell, high water, death and beyond. _Nothing_ he could do would ever break that love, _nothing_, no person, event, **deity** could break our bond. Our love is **True Love**. Our souls were, are, and will ever be two halves of a single whole, as Uranus and Neptune are, as the Four Kings and my senshi are."

Saturn spoke up in a soft, sad manner to break the silence that ensued after Endymion's revelation and Cosmos' passionate speech.

"I was never supposed to Awaken, as the Messiah of Silence, and thus it is unknown whether or not I have a soul mate." A few of those assembled saw Cosmos' frown as Saturn continued. "Pluto, as the Guardian of Time, was forbidden hers by _Them_. Fate and Destiny."

"It is my Fate and my Destiny to remain the solitary Keeper of the Gates." Pluto said brusquely.

"Only until I have accepted my role as Cosmos, Setsuna." Cosmos said gently. "Now that I have, they can no longer control you."

"He is…was the Shadow King." Pluto said, stiffly. "As thus, he could not be tracked, even by our means." Here, Pluto gave a small, sad smile, remembering. Her eyes softened, unfocused. "We thought we were safe…It was our misfortune that Fate decided to 'drop by' unannounced. They were so furious…" Pluto seemed to realize where she was, for she looked up. The shutters were back. "As a punishment to me, they bound his powers, Fate and Destiny, and cast him into the Time Stream unguided, swearing I would never find him. Ever since, I have searched for him when I could. I thought I had found him, many a time through the Ages, but I have been wrong each and every time…" Here, Pluto gave a deep sigh, laced with pain. "I have finally accepted the inevitable truth…He has been lost to Time. Even you cannot find him, my Queen." Her tone said that the subject was now closed. "We are here," She stated, changing the subject, and getting back to business, "because there are two others that must be found, before the Four Kings can be Awakened, who were also sent here in error. Tranquility, the Prince of the White Moon, younger brother to Her Majesty Serenity, and Dimitrius, Prince of Terra, younger brother to His Majesty Endymion. Only with their help can we hope to find and awaken the Four. We have tracked their active powers to Hogwarts, in this time and dimension." Only the same three as before saw the turbulent emotions raging still in her eyes, saw the gloved hand clenched tightly around the key Staff, and of these two saw the third's unconscious reaction to her despairing words. Two pairs of blue eyes narrowed in calculation, before refocusing on the words now being spoken.

"What mean thou by those words 'this time and dimension'?" Pluto looked to Firenze, who had been the one to voice this question.

A.N. What, indeed…::feral smile:: Enjoy the chapter? Poor, poor Setsuna…don't worry, a later chapter will have an interlude regarding her romance with the Shadow King. Now that this part is out of the way, the antsiness (not a real word, but oh well) I feel has diminished somewhat. Next chapter, tentatively dated for Late Monday/Early Tuesday, will answer the centaur's question. History lesson time!! Any input on whom Tranquility and/or Dimitrius are?


	6. Whys and Fitting In

A.N.: So I've survived two of my four Finals. Yay me. And I found the time to revise this part of the fic for you people! Aren't you proud of me for not catching up on some much-needed sleep, instead? ^_^ Review responses at bottom. Enjoy this (rather short) chapter.

"Yes…Neo-King Endymion spoke of straying souls and 'a different dimension' earlier as well." Minerva spoke up. Pluto looked from her to Cosmos, who answered.

"Firenze of the Centaurs, you have been witness to the realignment of the stars, have you not?" At his slow nod, she continued. "We, my Senshi and I, are not of this dimension, this timeline, so to speak. As Pluto well knows, having guarded the Gates for so long, there are infinite universes wherein souls can be born, or reborn. When my mother used the last of her powers to send the fallen of the Silver Millennium to a new future, she could not keep us all in the same dimensional timeline. The orbs containing our souls remained clustered together for the most part, but groups fractured apart, and traveled into different dimensions/timelines. Usually, once the reincarnation died in the dimension to which it had been sent, the soul would be reborn a dimension closer to our original home. Several souls have yet to return to us, after all others have. We set out to discover why. Needless to say, it appears that because the concentration of Magic here is so close to our own, the souls sent to this place in error have been reborn here, time and time again. The realignment of the stars is due to our presence…with _our_ arrival here, the souls that were reborn in this place have begun to realize their error in remaining. Balance is restoring itself." The centaur nodded in understanding.

"Your majesty…why do you still require the Princes' presence to Awaken the Four Kings? Are you not the Lady of the Stars?" Sir Nicholas asked respectfully. Cosmos turned to the hovering ghost with a wry smile.

"I am, but both of our brothers are needed to make the finding and Awakening expeditious." Cosmos said. "I may be all-powerful, but am by no means perfect." She turned to Mercury, who had regained her composure. "Mercury, you're good at explaining. Would you, please?" The blue-haired Senshi of Ice nodded, and folded her hands on the tabletop.

"The Royalty of a planet hold the powers of that planet at their control." She began. She held up a gloved hand, and concentrated. A shimmering icy blue color swirled up and formed an intricate ice crystal in her palm. "As a Princess of Mercury, planet of Ice (despite its proximity to the Sun, which is precisely _why_ it is the planet of Ice {to offset the heat}) I can manipulate ice and snow." She waved her hand, and the crystal disappeared. "As an only child, I am the heir to the throne, as well as the Senshi, of the planet Mercury. In the case of multiple Royal children, the powers are usually split according to age and or gender. Where there are two females, the older usually becomes the Senshi, the younger made heir apparent, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Power is split by age. When there are both a male child and a female child, and the male is older, he rules while she undergoes her Senshi training. If the female is older, her brother becomes heir apparent while she becomes a Senshi. In either case, the Senshi holds more of the planet's power than the heir does, a power split by gender. Only females become the avatars of their planets, because the Senshi power is based on innate feminine instincts." Mercury folded her hands again. "So when there are two male children, but no female, the older becomes King of the planet, the younger remains Prince, and the planet is without an avatar until the King produces a daughter. The power in this case is split according to age once again."

"That still doesn't explain why the Princes need be found." Snape bit out. He knew he was being rather rude, dangerous when those he was speaking to held _far_ more power than he, but the pain from the Dark Mark was making him more irritable than usual. Mercury flushed faintly. Jupiter responded.

"She's getting to that." She snapped.

"Yes…well, High Prince Dimitrius still holds his portion of the Terran planet power. Together, he and Neo-King Endymion can accomplish more than if the King were to search alone." Mercury finished. "As for Prince Tranquility…" Here Uranus tried to muffle her snickering. Mercury glared. "Uranus! I see no humor here."

"Sorry…Mercury…" Uranus gasped out. She composed herself. "It's just…Tranquility was anything but…"

"Yes, well it's tradition!" Mercury responded. "Lunar tradition dictates that the Princesses be named Serenity after the Goddess, and the Princes Tranquility after… "

"YES…thank you Mercury, for reminding us of that little fact." Cosmos cut in, rolling her eyes slightly. "My brother possesses the Omoide no Kurisutaru, the Crystal of Recollection, not to be mistaken with the Ginzuishou, the Imperial Silver Crystal, which my daughter now wields." Cosmos said. "The Omoide no Kurisutaru helps a person remember things, as well as aids in the transfer of information from one person to another. With it, we don't have to wait for the Kings, once found, to remember their past lives on their own." Here, she had the grace to blush and various expressions of mirth or embarrassment could be seen on the senshi's faces. "Believe me…that lead to too many scenes that could have, should have, been avoided. I speak from experience." Neo-King Endymion gave a small smirk.

"Ah, yes. Those…wonderful…pictures you drew of us while I didn't remember during Ail and Ann's time…" He teased his wife gently. She huffed and pretended to pout as the other senshi were in various stages of amusement. "I still have those…" he mused thoughtfully. Cosmos glared at him, while Moon looked at her parent weirdly.

The conversation turned to other matters from that point on, after the brief history and Royalty lessons, such as how the Senshi would fit in at Hogwarts and what they would do in the battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. This led to the specifics of the magic they wielded and the kinds of youma that they'd defeated. It was finally decided that the Inner Senshi, Saturn, and Moon would join the students, the younger two as Sixth Years and the older four as Seventh. Uranus and Neptune would teach an optional, but strongly recommended, course on Dueling (created in the days following the Ministry's acknowledgement of Voldemort's return) because the students would need to learn to defend themselves in the dark days to come. Pluto would take over Binns' position as History of Magic Professor. Had the ghostly Professor been available, he would have undoubtedly protested, but for some reason he couldn't be found…Pluto received several suspicious looks from Jupiter, Moon, and Mercury when she winked at Mars, who looked smug. Helios would help Hagrid in CoMC. Cosmos and Endymion were offered the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, but both declined.

"While we would enjoy teaching, the two of us cannot stay indefinitely." Endymion explained. "The Senshi, and Helios, will remain here, but Cosmos and I must return to our own home soon. We still have a duty to our subjects, and Cosmos is needed not only to maintain the peace in our own dimension, but also to guard the Gates. That is another reason we must find my brother…because I'll need him to continue the search while I am not here."

"I believe you shall have a suitable candidate soon, at any rate." Pluto said. "More than one, to be fair…" Dumbledore looked at her, but she did not care to elaborate. Several of the senshi rolled their eyes, used to Pluto's cryptic remarks, and Saturn clarified for the confused Headmaster.

"It's a Time Guardian thing." She shrugged. "Secrets are her specialty. Apparently, Pluto has seen the immediate future…"

"We will return periodically to assist in whatever task at hand, but for the most part, we will be busy." Cosmos said, cutting in. "The Senshi have means of contacting us in times of dire emergencies, but I believe that they are fully capable of handling things themselves.

Everyone went to bed at this point, some eagerly looking forward to what tomorrow would bring, others just hoping to get through the night in one piece.

A.N.: Yep, someone's going to have a rough night. Any input on who it's going to be? At any rate, the next chapter will be up sometime tomorrow. Maybe.

Aphrodite2: Thank you, thank you very much. I've like the Senshi and the Generals as couples ever since I saw that damned portrait, from the manga. They're just so adorable together!

Gingerbread starrr: Yeah, sorry if that yaoi warning was a little extreme. But, I figure I mind as well, 'specially since Siri/Remy are going to have a nice, happy reunion and all. ::shrug:: Better safe than sorry. Your questions regarding the Neo-King will be answered in due time. ^_^ Meaning…maybe in a chapter or two or so…

DragonPrincessDynamis: Okay. ^_~

SerinityRules: Well, there're two answers to your question. The first is that I felt like going the stereotypical route (given below). The second is that I really didn't feel like flipping through my dictionary and going through the trouble of creating a unique name for another canon character. And nice guess, by the way.

Jewel: Thanks very much for your contribution! ^__^ It is greatly appreciated.


	7. Memories of Time

A.N.: Okay, well no one made a guess as to who would have a rough night. ::Pouts:: You people are no fun…See the chapter title? Yep, that's right. I'm giving Sailor Pluto a hard time. Review responses below. Enjoy the chapter (it'll be the last until Saturday…I've two finals to cram for ^_^;). There's Japanese here too (sorry!!!) because I couldn't help myself. It may not be entirely accurate because I have yet to take classes. I've tried to translate all of it, but if I've missed anything, do please let me know.

Setsuna tossed and turned in the bed. After the meeting and discussions, the Senshi (and the two men) had been given living quarters for the night in a room in the castle. The main room was behind, of all things, a rather nice rendition of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. It branched off into seven connected rooms, and three bathrooms. Haruka and Michiru shared a room, for obvious reasons, as did Usagi and Mamoru. The Inners drew lots, and Mina would share with Rei while Mako shared a room with Ami. Chibi-Usa and Helios were planning to share a room as well, much to Mamoru's displeasure. It was nothing personal against the priest…merely the shotgun-toting overprotective father complex that was timeless and universal whenever boys dared put moves on their little girls, despite the 'little girls' being all grown up. He sent threatening glares in the poor priest's direction, until he learned that Hotaru would have a single. Mamoru immediately made sure that the two girls would room together, and Helios was given a room of his own. This came about because rather than sharing a room with Hotaru as she normally did, Setsuna asked for a single room for tonight. She knew that the memories would return to her tonight…memories of _him_, of their happiness, of how all was shattered in an instant…with these unhappy thoughts plaguing her mind, she slipped into unconsciousness, and immediately began to dream.

Sailor Pluto stood in front of the Time Gates, as she had been for centuries past, and would be for centuries still to come. Such was the life of the Guardian of Time, the Keeper of the Key and the Gates. She twirled the Key staff in her hands in absent patterns, before beginning to practice. Dancing a deadly dance with grace and beauty, she was unaware of the dark eyes that watched her every move with admiration. Bored of the same routine, she thought she'd try something she had seen through one of the window portals she'd used to scan the timelines for disturbances.

Spinning the Key rapidly in her hands, she threw it hard into the air and did several back flips. Reaching a hand upwards, she managed to push the descending Key into the air again before doing a graceful cartwheel forwards. She had seen a soldier do such a thing while training through one of the portals, and thought it'd be interesting. The soldier had caught the staff, after the cartwheel, in his hands with the staff vertical, and brought it straight down in a forward motion to strike the air in front of him. What Setsuna had failed to take into account, however was the weight of the Garnet Orb Talisman on one end of the Key. The Key was not able to make as many revolutions as the staff had, and thus missed her hands, and proceeded to strike her quite sharply on the head, rendering her unconscious.

'Pain…' was the first thing that passed across Setsuna's thoughts. 'That was a bad idea…oh my head…' The next moment, she realized that instead of lying on the rather cool ground of the Void of the Time Gates, her head was in fact somewhere soft, but firmly hard, and _warm_. And, there was a warm **breath** near her face! Setsuna sat up abruptly in shock and alarm, and then promptly collapsed again as bright stars literally _exploded_ behind her eyes.

"Don't move…you've a rather nasty bump on your head." A dark, silky smooth, masculine voice said soothingly. Setsuna struggled away despite the pounding headache she now had, turning to face the man.

"Trespasser…" she hissed, searching frantically with her hands for her Key. "No one may pass though the Gates…" The mystery man gave a light chuckle that sent butterflies fluttering in Setsuna's stomach.

"No worries, lovely. I'm not here to go anywhere. I was merely trying to help…" By now, Setsuna had found her Key and for the first time got a good look at the intruder. Her movements stilled in her abstract fascination. He was a play of dark and light, with straight black hair of medium length tied loosely back, wisps escaping to frame a pale face. His sharp, bottomless dark eyes gazed into her garnet ones. The man stood with a fluidity of motion that was almost poetic. "As you seem to be all right now…I'll be taking my leave. Try not to sleep for the next few hours, lovely, you might have a concussion." With this, he turned, dark clothing swirling about his form in an unseen wind, and _melted_ into the shadows. Setsuna was left sitting on the ground with a pounding headache, a strange, alien sensation in her chest, and the distinct impression that she should have noticed something. She struggled to her feet, and looked to where the man had disappeared, thinking. With a start, she realized what it was. _She hadn't sensed his presence!_ As Time guardian, she should have been able to sense all that approached herself or the Gates, but hadn't even felt him once! Setsuna shook her head, then groaned in pain and began rummaging through her subspace pocket for painkillers.

An indefinite amount of time passed again before he returned (or rather, before he made his presence known) again. "Hello again, lovely. I see you are none the worse for wear…?" Sailor Pluto spun in the direction of that _voice_, and watched in fascination as the shadows seemed to swirl about before drawing back to reveal the man's tall, lithe form.

"Who are you?" She hissed, tensing.

"Kurayami no Shihaisha." He replied, giving a formal half-bow. Sailor Pluto raised the Key slightly.

"'Ruler of the Dark'?" She repeated. She dropped into a defensive stance. "What is your purpose for coming here, Evil one? Whatever it is, you shall be punished for contemplating it!" The man raised his hands in mock defense.

"No no no, dear Lady! You mistake my meaning. I am not _evil_…just **Dark**." Noticing her confusion, he elaborated. "Light and Dark, as you know, are both types of power. Dark is associated with Evil because it is so easy to corrupt. That does not mean, however, that all Dark is Evil, nor all Light Good. My name is Kageno Shinkenmeijin, the Severe Master of Shadows. I am a Shadow King, thereby my title."

"That does not reassure me regarding your intentions." Sailor Pluto bit out. Inside, however, his words made sense. Sailor Senshi had powers based on their associated planets. They were also inherently Good. Yet some planets were by nature Dark, like Saturn, the planet of Death and Rebirth. This meant that Sailor Saturn, if ever she were to Awaken, would be a Dark, albeit Good, Senshi. He noticed her weakening resolve and pressed forward.

"Besides, lovely, if I had wanted to do something, I would have done so already. Am I correct in assuming that you cannot sense me?" He was right, and he knew it, the bastard. "Since you cannot sense my presence, what would have prevented me from harming you before, if that were my intentions?" He had a good point. Sailor Pluto stood straight and tall once more, dropping her stance. She visibly relaxed, but kept a good grip on her Key.

"Very well, you have convinced me you bear me no ill will. Nevertheless, you are not allowed to be here. Leave." Sailor Pluto repressed the urge to turn after her words of dismissal. It would have given her an air of superiority, but it was unwise to turn ones back to a stranger, no matter their intentions. An irritated thought then immediately entered her mind. "And cease using that term of endearment. I do not appreciate being called 'lovely' by a man I do not know." She snapped, coloring slightly. He chuckled, a sensual sound that caused the color in her cheeks to heighten.

"But it's true, you _are_ quite the vision. Besides, _lovely_, I do not know your name…" He trailed off, slightly suggestively. She didn't know what possessed her to respond, but she did.

"Princess Setsuna of the planet Pluto. Senshi of said planet, Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Gates of Time and Keeper of the Key." She said primly, fighting to keep the warmth out of her face. "Now leave, please. This is your last warning." The shadows reached out to the man once again.

"Well then Princess Setsuna, I bid you farewell." He melted into the shadows again, and Setsuna nearly sighed in relief, until his damnable voice of shadows and silk imparted one last message. "For now…" Setsuna suppressed the delicious shudder than ran down her spine and caused her chest and stomach to flutter. Those last words contained a hint of a promise.

True to his words, he came back several more times in the following weeks, and each time Setsuna threatened him less and less. Soon, she actually came to look forward to, and enjoy, his visits, and a relationship began to blossom. His wit was sharp, and he was incredibly intelligent to boot. Setsuna found herself enjoying her duties as Guardian of Time for the first time that she could recall. She finally had a friend. Together, the two of them would scan the timelines for disturbances. His biting comments regarding various of the things that they'd see made her smile and laugh. Together, they easily overcame intruders trying to use the Time Gates for evil purposes. Friendship quickly turned to love, and Setsuna had never been happier. Then, one fateful day, something happened to shatter that happiness.

"Anata no watashi?" Setsuna murmured softly. She leaned against _her_ Shadow King's strong chest, his arms around her waist and his chin against her shoulders. "You and me?"

"Itsumo, itoshii. We will always be together, my Beloved." He answered, lips brushing her ear with every whispered word of silk. His tone spoke of nothing but love for her.

"Eien ni, koibito." She sighed happily in reply. "Forever…" She tilted her head back to kiss him. Just as their lips met, Sailor Pluto's senses screamed in alarm. The two of them quickly broke apart and leapt back as a large orb of energy blasted the spot they'd been standing it. "Who goes there?!" Sailor Pluto demanded, bringing her Key out of her subspace pocket. Behind her, Shinkenmeijin created a sword of the shadows, and stood alert to other dangers that may be present.

"How. Dare. You…" A woman's voice sliced through the air, practically dripping with venom. She faded into view, wavy dark hair swirling with her anger, pale eyes filled with fury.

"Fate…" Sailor Pluto gasped. She whirled in alarm as another voice added it's input.

"An intruder! At the Gates of Time…he must be dealt with…" This woman's straight light hair remained in place, but her dark eyes sparked and crackled with enraged energy.

"Destiny…Please, I can explain…!" Sailor Pluto said desperately, fearing, not for her life, but for that of her lover. Fate and Destiny were often cruel. This time was no exception.

"There is nothing _to_ explain, Setsuna of Pluto." They bit out in unison. Sailor Pluto cried out in pain as a wave of energy blasted her off her feet. She landed, skidding, several feet from her initial position.

"'Suna!!" the Shadow King shouted in alarm. He tried to dash to her side, but found himself crashing to the ground as several rings of energy wrapped around his form. He gave a gasp of pain as they tightened to a point beyond uncomfortable.

"Please, Destiny, Fate, I beg of you to release him!" Sailor Pluto said weakly, using her Key as a crutch to get unsteadily to her feet. The two merely smiled mercilessly.

"You were meant to perform this duty _alone_, Setsuna of Pluto. Your task as Guardian of the Gates of Time and Space is to **destroy** _all_ who approach them." They intoned. "Why, then, is this man still alive?"

"Because I love him…!" she said, trying to get to his side. "Dead Scream" She whispered. This endeavor did not work, as another energy blast cut through the garnet orb of energy and once again threw her back, away from his prone from. This blast caused her to de-transform as well.

"Stop it!" the Shadow King gasped out. "Kage Kakomu Hakai…!" This was one of his strongest attacks, causing the shadows to surround and destroy the opponent at which it had been directed. To his surprise, Fate merely flicked her hand, and the building shadow attack dissipated.

"You cannot harm us, foolish Kurayami no Shihaisha." Fate began. Destiny finished.

"We are Fate and Destiny, we control the lives of all. It is not in our place to kill, so…" They linked hands, and directed a ball of energy at the bound Shadow King. Shinkenmeijin gave a hoarse cry of pain as the ball struck and engulfed his bound form. It felt as if he were being ripped to shreds from inside out! He went limp, panting shallowly and shaking with aftereffects of pain as the energy was completely absorbed, and the glowing rings binding him disappeared.

"Anata…!" Setsuna cried softly. Fate turned to her as Destiny waved a hand, levitating Shinkenmeijin's trembling form into the air. "Please…" she entreated, kneeling, on hands and knees before Fate. "What have you done to him?"

"We have merely bound his powers for eternity." Fate said, dismissively. Unheeding Setsuna's tears, she snapped her fingers, and caused the Gates to appear and open ominously.

"Set…sun…a…" The voice Setsuna so loved, now hoarse with pain, caught her attention. She turned her tear-stained face towards where he was floating ever closer to the open Gates.

"No…please, don't…!" She gasped out, reading Destiny's intentions.

"Aishteru…" With this last declaration of his love, Kageno Shinkenmeijin was thrown forward through the Time Gates. Setsuna somehow scrambled to her feet despite the heels and long, dark garnet, almost black dress that she now wore and stumbled towards the Gates, but they closed with finality just before she got there. Setsuna threw herself against them, pounding at the closed Gates in futility, before sinking to her knees and falling forward. Her long, dark forest green hair obscured her face as she broke down sobbing with her loss.

"For disobeying your duties and your Destiny, you shall be the **solitary** Keeper of the Gates until the Stars accept their Mistress." Destiny said in a glacial tone. She disappeared in a puff of mist.

"For daring to defy Fate, Princess Setsuna of Pluto, you shall never find the Dark Ruler you so profess to _love_." This said in a callous manner, Fate faded from view, leaving the grieving Plutonian Princess to her suffering.

'Meioh.' Setsuna thought abstractly through her tears. 'Ruler of darkness. That shall be my surname from this point forward, in memory of _my_ lost Ruler of Darkness… I am Meioh Setsuna.'

Two pairs of blue eyes, in differing shades, watched on as the suffering Senshi of Time tossed and turned in agitation in her sleep, tears squeezing through tightly closed eyelids, slipping in unending streams down her cheeks. Empathetic tears fell from the cornflower blue, while the possessor of the sky blue gently brushed the dark bangs from Setsuna's forehead.

"She's been alone for so long…in _pain_ for so long…" Minako murmured, brushing at her tears. "Usa-chan…"

"I know, Mina-chan." Usagi said softly. "I have a feeling, though, that the Shadow King has not been lost forever." Her voice, still soft, took on a note of knowledge, and pure _power_, influence of being the Mistress of the Stars. "Do you not agree, Princess Venus?"

"Indeed, my Lady." Minako agreed, her voice, too, changing with her Princess powers, growing warm and light despite the tears still wet on her cheeks. "I feel…something…in the air, an activation of a too long dormant Bond?…No, the _reparation_ of a _broken_ Bond." She smiled brightly, heartened by this information. The two of them each gently brushed a hand down the sides of Setsuna's face. This movement soothed the anguished features, and causing the woman to fall into a deeper, more restful sleep. Bidding each other soft goodnights, Usagi and Minako each sent a silent prayer to their planets for the Shadow King to reveal himself soon, before leaving for their respective rooms.

A.N. Heh. Don't you just hate Fate and Destiny? I got the idea from the phrase "Fate's a bitch." I thought it appropriate…kind of obvious who the Shadow King is by now, isn't it? So the next chapter will have some happiness, some tears, and some action. Not necessarily in that order, mind. Until then!

SerinityRules: Boy, tough customer, aren't you? Normally, you'd be right. But, this is not the normal case. I'll explain how it is that Chibi-Usa and Hotaru are the 'same' age and only 'a year younger' than the Inners in the next chapter.

Jewel: Fine by me. ^_^ Here's the next chapter. Your turn ^_~

Crystal-Winter: Why thank you. Sorry, though, you'll have to wait. Damned Organic Chemistry…

Celesta Evenstar: Thanks! I'm happy to have been able to convert someone to this fandom. ^_^


	8. Harry Potter, A Skirmish, A Recovery Mis...

A.N.: Hi! ::Waggles fingers:: Sorry this chapter is so late. Anyone miss me? ::Crickets chirping:: Right then…-_-; Okay, without further ado, here's the next part. Couple of big paragraphs here, so you may want to increase font size to widen spaces a bit. Enjoy!

It was a rather pale and listless Harry Potter that stumbled out of the Headmaster's fireplace the next morning, followed closely by Tonks. He was drawn into a tight hug by Molly almost immediately, to which he gave a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes. At a slight gesture from Dumbledore, the two women left the room.

"Harry, dear boy, how have you been? Lemon Drop?" The Headmaster asked cheerfully. Harry shook his head slightly. "Right. Not before breakfast. How about a scone, or a muffin then? Some kippers, perhaps?"

"No, thank you, Headmaster." He replied dully.

"Harry, my boy, how are your Occlumency lessons coming along?" Dumbledore asked. He received a shrugged answer. Without warning, he sent a mental probe. Harry blocked it with a little concentration. "Excellently done!" Dumbledore said, smile widening. There was a soft rapping on the door.

"Remus! Come in!" The Headmaster called. The door opened to admit a pale, shaking Remus who gave a smile upon seeing Harry, giving the young man a hug that was at least returned accompanied by a "'Lo Moony."

"I have very good news for you, Harry, simply incredible!" The Headmaster began jovially. Harry gave a soft snort.

"Voldemort's choked to death on his own vomit?" he asked, sarcastically. The Headmaster seemed a bit taken aback, but responded cheerfully.

"Amusing as that would be, no. Better news, my boy! Maintain your shields now…some very powerful individuals have offered their services in the fight against Voldemort, and they wish to begin by doing you, and the Order, a great favor indeed!" Harry smiled bitterly.

"Like what?" He muttered. "Bring my Godfather back from the dead?" Next to him, he felt Remus stiffen and leaned into his side with a soft "Sorry Moony…I shouldn't have…" It was then that he realized that Remus was shaking. Worried, he pulled back to look at the werewolf, who was…suppressing delight? "What…" Remus gave Harry a tight hug, leaving the boy breathless.

"These people…they can! They can bring Siri back!" Remus said joyously. At Harry's shocked disbelief, Dumbledore hurried to explain.

"I'm sure that you've heard Professor Binns speak of the dawn of the Magical civilization, the Legend of the Silver Millennium, and the legendary Senshi." At Harry's slightly confused nod, he continued. "What you did perhaps did not know is that there exists an ultimate Senshi, the Lady of the Stars, Sailor Cosmos. She can grant great miracles of magic, my boy! She, and her Senshi, are real, and they're here!" Dumbledore said. Harry was in shock. What Dumbledore was saying…it couldn't be true…

"They can bring Siri back?" He asked haltingly, barely breathing. "But…the Veil…"

"My dear boy, Sailor Saturn's powers are based on Death and Rebirth. She is, in essence, the Goddess of Death. What lies beyond the Veil may very well be her Realm, especially seeing both you, and Miss Lovegood, and many others, are able to hear 'voices' from beyond it." Dumbledore said gently.

"Wh…when?" Harry croaked, hardly daring to believe. Remus pulled Harry into another hug, then pulled the young man behind him as he hurried to leave the Headmaster's office.

"Right now, Harry. We were waiting for you to get here before they did it…come on!" With this, Remus pulled the unresisting boy down the stairs, the Headmaster following at a more sedate pace, eyes twinkling overtime.

As Remus pulled him down the corridor to the Great Hall, Harry's mind was in turmoil. Someone could actually bring Sirius back from the dead? It was unbelievable, too good to be true. Don't get him wrong, he wanted to believe, but what if this were all a dream? What if he woke up to discover himself in his room on Privet Drive, Sirius still dead? What if his practice hadn't been enough to strengthen his mental shields, and this was all some horrible plan of Voldemort's to break him, to break his mind? All too soon, they arrived at the Great Hall, where Harry was treated to a sight. The first thing he saw was a Pegasus, a winged white horse with a golden crystal in its forehead, and a young girl about his age with strange pink hair sitting on its back. Both Pegasus and rider turned in his direction as he entered the Hall, the girl leaning forward to whisper something to the Pegasus. Next to her stood a tall man with short black hair, wearing what could only be described as lavender clothing fit for a King. He was speaking with a woman with long dark green hair and a girl with short dark purple hair, both in some sort of outfit with a very short skirt and no sleeves. There were two young women sparring to one side, one with short platinum blonde hair and the other with a brown ponytail in the same type of strange outfit. Nearby, another young woman with short blue hair was discussing something with McGonagall, while one with long gold hair was laughing at something Flitwick was trying to explain. Both of these had on the outfit as well, as well as the next two. A woman with wavy aquamarine hair looked to be preventing one with long dark black hair with red highlights from strangling Trelawney, as Sprout and Pomphry looked on in bemusement. And there was Snape there in the corner… he looked more pinched than usual. And the scowl he sported was… off somehow. Harry was brought out of his observations by a female voice speaking up from right next to him.

"So you are Harry Potter…poor boy, to have gone through so much. Trust in us, we will not fail you." Harry turned, green eyes meeting silver-blue. The woman was regal looking, resplendent in silver accented with other colors, in a suit similar to that worn by the others, but more ornate. She had striking silver hair very similar to that of the pink-haired girl, but what Harry noticed the most was the feeling of peace that she gave off.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Neo-Queen Serenity, the Lady of the Stars, Sailor Cosmos. She will be one of those who will bring Sirius back." Dumbledore said. Harry took a single step forward.

"Can you really?" Hope began to bloom in Harry's heart.

"Yes…now that you're here, we can bring Sirius Black back from beyond the Veil. Senshi!" At her raised one-word command, the women wearing the strange suits all stopped what they were doing and approached the four. "Senshi, I'd like to introduce you to Harry Potter. He's the one we've been waiting for to arrive. Harry, these are my Senshi Sailors Mercury, Ami, Mars, Rei, Jupiter, Makoto, Neptune, Michiru, Uranus, Haruka, Saturn, Hotaru, Pluto, Setsuna, and Venus, Minako. My daughter, Sailor Moon, or Chibi-Usa, Helios, and my Mamo-chan…er…husband Endymion." Harry got a shock when Helios was introduced.

"An animagus?" The young man, recently the Pegasus, laughed softly.

"Of sorts." He replied.

"Harry, Pluto, Saturn, and I will be going through the dimensions to bring your Godfather back. We will be relying on Remus' bond to Sirius, as well as your love for your Godfather. Do **not** try to follow us. In addition, what you see here stays a secret, understand?" At his nod, Cosmos turned to the rest of the Hogwarts people. "You will have to be alert…but do not interfere. The Realm through which we will travel to access the Beyond of the Veil is a Dark one. Especially seeing as it's focus is Death. So there will be Evil there as well. Neptune, Uranus, Endymion, and Moon will battle, if necessary. Helios will erect a shield to prevent any danger to you. Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, de-transform. You have to concentrate on boosting Venus' power, and shield yourselves from the Dark from the portal. As it is, your powers are going to be depleted soon enough without you keeping up your transformations." The three in question did as told in flurries of ethereal ribbons and sparkling colors, shocking Harry as he realized they weren't much older than he was. At the expression on his face, Cosmos smiled slightly, guessing accurately from where the shock came. "Our magic hides our ages. We are older than we appear."

"But…they look my age!" Harry sputtered in confusion. Makoto gave him a grin.

"And you're what? Fifteen? Sixteen? We haven't been that in…technically? Over a couple thousand years, give or take. Not including our reincarnation." Everyone except for Helios, Endymion, and the other Senshi looked flabbergasted. Cosmos sighed.

"Can the questions wait until _after_ we get back?" She was becoming annoyed. No one dared to disagree. "Fine. Thank you. Positions, everyone!" At her words, everyone save the senshi, Remus, and Harry moved to the perimeter of the Great Hall. Helios became Pegasus, and the crystal that was his horn glowed, forming a shimmering dome-like shield around them. The four fighters took position, weapons appearing from subspace pockets. Uranus tossed her jeweled Space Sword from hand to hand idly, while Neo-King Endymion, having donned blue and silver trimmed black battle armor rested his hands on the hilt of his own sword. Neptune pulled out her trident, while Moon grasped a sword/scepter hybrid in one hand. The three untransformed senshi took up positions in a triangle around Venus. She stood in front of Remus, Harry next to him clutching his hand, as Saturn with her Glaive, Pluto with her Key, and Cosmos with her Crystal Tier stood, waiting, to their side. Rei, Ami, and Makoto began to glow red, icy blue, and emerald green, the auras lending brilliance to Venus' sudden blinding gold-orange. She reached out one hand and touched Remus' chest, over his heart. The cord reappeared, leading nowhere once again. Venus raised her other hand, a magical wind stirring her hair, towards Pluto, Saturn, and Cosmos. Cosmos nodded at Pluto, who raised the Key Staff held in her hands, and in an intricate motion made a portal appear, a swirling gray fog. Saturn raised her Glaive, and shot a bolt of dark purple energy at the portal, which crackled with energy and turned dark. The thin, delicate portion of the cord appeared then, leading into the portal. With a nod in their direction, first Saturn, then Cosmos and Pluto, disappeared through the portal. Several tense minutes passed, during which time nothing happened.

A large looming shape suddenly leapt form the portal, causing the edges to ripple slightly. It tried to attack the small group of six standing there, but suddenly a golden blade of energy distracted the monster from its initial target. It was an ugly thing, easily seven feet tall and four wide, a puce green and dark gray in color, with mottled skin and claws and incredibly sharp gleaming teeth. It's glowing eyes glared balefully at Uranus, who had sent the energy blast from her sword, as it gave a roar that went right to the heart. She, however, gave a grimace and without further ado transferred her sword to her left hand, raising the right above her head. A swirling navy ball appeared around her fist, which she drew back and punched in the creature's direction. The churning mass of energy flew towards the creature, increasing in size and trailing a yellow streamer of energy as it did so. The impact was gruesome, the blast engulfing the monster. Bits that had come off splattered the energy shield Pegasus had erected. Some of the professors looked rather green. Harry was pale with fright, Remus not much better. That…_thing_…had tried to attack them! The drool dripping from its teeth… The senshi, however, glared at Uranus.

"Love…you didn't have to make things so…messy." Neptune said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Uranus shrugged, unrepentant.

"Oops…" She had no chance to say anything more as several smaller creatures, about three feet high and resembling a cross between house-elves and warthogs, chattered in discordant tones as they came through the portal. Uranus, Neptune, Endymion, and Moon were kept rather busy distracting and dispatching the buggers using physical attacks, as well as various glowing balls and beams of energy, and, of course, a multitude of magical roses. Unlike the regular steel-tipped roses used before by Tuxedo Kamen, however, these acted much like hand grenades. Depending upon the amount of energy that the Neo-King infused them with, they either exploded upon impact or rested innocently before being triggered and exploding.

Soon, nearly twelve minutes had passed since the three had gone through the portal and nine since the first monster had appeared. Moon, Endymion, Uranus, and Neptune had no trouble dancing a deadly dance and destroying the creatures that poured forth intermittently from the portal, but Venus was visibly struggling with maintaining the visibility of the Bond. The red, green, and blue auras that had fed her golden one were weakening and wavering, as was the shield that protected the six from stray flying gobs of creature goop and the occasional direct attack whose source couldn't be distracted in time. With the combination of the dimensional travelling they did yesterday, and the strain on their powers now, and them not at full power to begin with, the Inners were down to reserves. Another minute. Two. The icy blue aura flickered and disappeared as Ami fell to her knees, panting. Not long after, the red aura ceased to feed the gold and instead went into strengthening the weakened shield protecting them. This caused Venus' outfit to shimmer and waver, subtle changes appearing as she powered down a few levels to conserve power. Another minute. Two. The green aura wavered dangerously as Makoto dropped to one knee. Venus was sweating, the gold aura around her dimming slightly, and her clothing glowing faintly once more. Bits of transparent ribbon accompanied by orange sparkles appeared to float from parts of her clothing. Her raised arm was shaking with strain. Something happened just as the green disappeared completely from the weak gold; a faint green-blue energy laced with brown reached out towards the gold, feeding it. The ribbons melded back into Venus' uniform as the golden aura brightened. Ami gasped, sharply flicking her wrist. Her computer appeared in her hand, and she typed rapidly. Just as the device gave a small beep, a large silver and purple bubble burst from the portal. Almost simultaneously, Venus collapsed in exhaustion, de-transforming, the cord that had been thickening strand by delicate strand disappeared from view, and the portal snapped shut. The predominantly red shield around them lingered a moment longer before it, too, disappeared. Neptune let loose a blast of aqua energy that combined with a pink one from Moon to destroy one large stubborn creature, while Endymion with Uranus decapitated the creature they were battling by double-teaming it. Finally, the opalescent shield around the battle area shimmered out of existence.

A.N.: Cliffhanger incentive for you peoples. Although it _is_ only a cliffhanger because there's a part in the next section that I'm having a bit of difficulty smoothing over. No worries, I'll be done soon (if I can tear myself away from my anime long enough…). Anyhow, REVIEW, dagnabit!!!

SerinityRules: Well of course it is!

Jewel: o.O Now…is that a good thing, or a bad thing?


	9. He's BACK!

A.N.: Here is the conclusion to the cliffhanger. I thought I'd better get it out as soon as I'd ironed it, seeing as otherwise I'd probably have a riot on my hands, and my riot gear is undergoing repairs at the moment. It's SHORT, though, but it resolves the cliffie.

Serinde: Thanks! I will…and what makes you think that, hm? ^_~

Jewel: Oh. Okay then. ^__^

Hikaru: Cool! Soldier-speak. I like. ^_^ Glad to know I can help a fellow prisoner of the educational systems unwind. My updates _are_ rather sporadic…I tend to update as soon as I'm satisfied with a section.

SerinityRules: Yep. ^_^ I'm feeling more evil than usual. No worries, though, here's the resolution of the cliffhanger.

All eyes were on the shimmering bubble still resting on the floor. The dark purple and sparkling silver swirled together almost lazily, before the bubble began to disappear. It opened slowly, shimmering away to reveal first a rather tired looking Cosmos leaning slightly to one side at an angle, then Pluto clutching her Time Key as if it were the only thing keeping her upright, and Saturn glowing and kneeling…next to a battered looking body. It was Sirius Black.

"He was being protected…" Cosmos murmured to no one in particular as Harry ran to his Godfather's side, falling to his knees next to Sirius. Remus was barely a step behind, and he raised a trembling hand to brush the lock of hair from Sirius' face. Sailor Pluto dropped her transformation, but kept her Key out as a crutch. Setsuna was _tired_.

"S…Siri?" Remus choked out, tears forming in his eyes. The man on the ground gave a pained moan as Saturn moved her faintly glowing purple hands over his prone form. The professors looked on in shock, unable to move.

"Siri…SIRIUS!" Harry cried, as the man abruptly sat straight up, blue eyes widening in shock and anger. These were quickly replaced with confusion as a teary and sobbing Remus, and an equally teary and sobbing Harry, both tackled him. Remus wriggled his way into Sirius' lap, arms tightening around Sirius' waist, face pressed against his chest and tears soaking the front of his robes, while Harry nearly strangled his Godfather with arms around his neck, and crying into his shoulder.

"What the bloody…where am I? Ggckk… Loosen up, Harry, I need AIR! What happened? Remy, love, you okay? Why aren't we at the Ministry, who the hell are these people, where the **FUCK** is that _bitch_ Bellatrix, and why're you two cry…mmph!" He was cut off as Remus locked their lips together in a crushing kiss. The crying werewolf then pulled away and gave Sirius a bruising punch on the shoulder.

"Don't you dare, don't you **ever** dare, leave us like that again!" He shouted, then went back to crying into Sirius' front as Harry babbled on with "I'm so sorry" and "I didn't think" and "You're alive" while clutching at his arm. Sirius looked back and forth at the two of them, bewildered, and turned to Dumbledore.

"What did I miss?" he asked plaintively.

A.N.: Okay! Everyone cheer with me now…**SIRIUS IS** **BACK**!!! ::Waves party noisemaker::


	10. The Guardians and the Terran Prince

A.N.: Hello!! I hope you are all having a fine holiday! I doubt I'll be updating until after New Years, so I'll get this part out now. Have fun with it!

The Great Hall had been cleaned of its creature splatter, and the table had been returned. Any damages and craters caused by the fight were taken care of by Cosmos directing her energy through Pluto's Key to reverse time for the areas, and soon, save for the faint lingering scent of cooked youma, the Great Hall appeared as it normally did. The Senshi had all de-transformed, slightly surprising the people who'd been present last night, because although everyone else had not changed visibly in their de-transformation, Uranus, Neptune, and Cosmos had. Uranus now had sandy blonde hair and teal eyes, while Neptune's hair had not only shortened somewhat; it had lightened considerably, and her eyes had become a pale green-blue. Cosmos' hair had changed from silver with heart-shaped buns to sunny gold with round buns, and her eyes had lightened to a shade darker than sky blue. They were all seated around the table, Remus and Harry to either side of Sirius, hanging on to him as if he were about to disappear any moment. Sirius' mind was whirling with all the information he'd just been given.

"Today is July 30th…So let me get this straight…I fell _through_ the Veil in the Department of Mysteries nearly _three_ months ago, and was thought to be _dead_? That rat's been caught, and I'm a free man? With an _Order_ _of_ _the_ _Merlin_?! _You_ people are straight from legend?" He had a hard time grasping what had happened, how much time had passed without his knowledge, but at least he knew why Remus refused to let go of his hand, and why Harry kept touching him in incredulity, and why the both of them looked so pale and haggard.

"Technically, Mr. Black, you _were_ dead. For all intents and purposes, since you passed through the Gateway, at least. You weren't really, being still alive upon the passage. That, and your soul wasn't separated from your body because you were being protected from the Collectors." Hotaru spoke up. Her dark eyes looked straight at him, and he barely repressed a shudder at the ageless wisdom in them.

"Protected? By what?" Dumbledore asked. She turned to him and gave a small smile.

"Who, you mean. People that should be familiar to you…among them James and Lily Potter, Cedric Diggory, Regulus Black…The Collectors have to leave them alone, seeing as they've already been processed and catalogued." She ignored the gasps of surprise, turning to Harry. "Your parents are proud of you…and Cedric says to stop blaming yourself." She frowned suddenly. "Strange about that particular spirit…it's aura was off somehow, as if…" Trailing off, her eyes went wide and she turned to Usagi. "Cosmos-sama! That spirit…" she was cut off as several shrill trills and a low-pitched warble pierced the air. Everyone looked up to see Fawkes circling the table, diving down lower and lower until it landed in the center. Still above the table there circled two phoenixes of different colors, and a small (about three feet from tip to tail), glowing, shimmering _dragon_. One phoenix was brown and blue, the other silver and white. As one, the three magical creatures sang a trilling, rumbling, haunting song and circled lower. The brown and blue landed on Mamoru's shoulder, pecking him affectionately while the silver phoenix buzzed Usagi before landing near Chibi-Usa. The dragonling circled several more times, seemingly searching for something, before warbling softly in a sad manner, landing near Usagi and allowing her to stroke his wing ridges comfortingly. "The Guardians…" Mamoru breathed. Usagi broke the silence after their arrival.

"Mr. Potter…" She began. "I believe you were wondering earlier how it could be that we all appear so youthful?" He, as well as nearly every one of the witches and wizards present, nodded or made small noises or gestures of confirmation. "Simple. The particular type of magic that we possess allows for it. How old do you think I look?" Harry gulped. A woman was asking him to name her age? Uh-oh…

"Um…twenty-five?" He replied hesitatingly. She nodded thoughtfully.

"Then how is it that my daughter is sixteen?" she asked. He couldn't answer. "You heard Makoto say earlier that we are all well over a thousand years of age. That is correct. Due to our planetary powers, our lifespans are greatly extended. More than that however, you must understand this. We are here to search for the Soul Mates of my Senshi. You see, without them, they cannot gain access or control of their full powers. This is why the Inners stopped aging at 18. Chibi-Usa is 16, as Hotaru appears to be, but in actuality, the Inners are all at least twenty years older than Chibi-Usa. Hotaru is also older than Chibi-Usa, by about sixteen years, I believe. I do not know the exact age of Helios, and I don't dare imagine Setsuna's age, seeing as she has been Guardian of the Gates for Selene knows how long." 

"Too long…" was Setsuna's muttered comment. Mamoru smiled.

"They've aged well, haven't they?" He took in the befuddled and amazed faces of those all around. Suddenly, the phoenix perched on his shoulder, which had been staring intently at Harry, gave a cry. The bird took off, half flying but mostly hopping, across the table, chirping absently all the way. It stopped in front of Harry, and chirped questioningly at the wary boy. Mamoru frowned. "Why is Arrerth doing that?" The phoenix, Arrerth, whistled sharply, and jumped onto a surprised Harry's shoulder.

Ami spoke up suddenly, tearing her attention away from the silver Phoenix demanding attention near Chibi-Usa. "That's right! Right before they reappeared through the portal…what were you thinking of, Mr. Potter?" Harry wrinkled his brow in confusion, trying not to move his shoulder for fear of disturbing the phoenix preening there.

"I saw that Venus' aura was weakening…I thought that she would collapse, and we'd never get Siri back." Harry said, slowly, clutching one of Sirius' hands in near desperation. The other was still in Remus' possession. "I was afraid…I wanted, no, needed to help!" Ami nodded. She turned to the Senshi, specifically Usagi and Mamoru.

"I noticed in those last few seconds that a strange energy was feeding Venus'." She began. Minako interrupted.

"It was familiar, too. I just can't put my finger on where I'd felt it before…" Ami sighed in exasperation.

"Let me finish, then, Mina! As I was saying, a strange energy was feeding Venus'. It was very familiar, and I ran a scan on it. According to my readings…" she looked from Mamoru, to Harry, back to Mamoru. "That's because it's a derivative of yours. It was Terran planet magic."

"But then…that would mean…" Usagi breathed, her eyes sparkling. She hugged her husband tightly. He was staring at Harry.

"Harold James Potter is in fact the reincarnation of High Prince Dimitrius, your brother." Ami finished.

"It can't be…" "Impossible…" "My God!" Various exclamations broke out, but before more could be said or done, a head floated out of the center of the table. Minako, Usagi, Chibi-Usa, and strangely Haruka gave small shrieks of surprise. Rei whipped out one of her scrolls and began to chant. The two phoenixes took off into the air with screeches, and the dragon rumbled out a low warning. But it was one shaking voice that named the person, or ghost, rather.

"Cedric…" Harry croaked, weakly. The boy looked around, before focusing it's ghostly gaze on Harry.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry." He said. "Stop blaming yourself for my death. Harry's eyes rolled back into his head, as he fainted, overwhelmed by all that had happened that day, on top of the fact that he'd gotten very little actual sleep since that night at the Ministry. Right before everything faded to black, he heard Hotaru's voice petulantly say "Well I tried to say something…that that spirit was returning from beyond…"

A.N.: Cookies to you who guess that I'd make Harry into Dimitrius. ^__^ Like you didn't see that one coming from a mile away…Oh well. And before anyone starts complaining that Phoenix' are supposed to be red and gold only: **_I KNOW_**. I have the Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them book. **FAN**-fiction. Same applies to the dragonet. Speaking of which…anyone want to name it or the other (moon) Phoenix?

Serinde: Yup! I can't stand to break 'em up, and rather than kill Remy (perish the thought!) Siri's back. ^_^ And you may be on to something, given what one of the Guardians is…^_~

Hikaru: A fellow choco-holic too? Way cool! Yeah…haven't taken Spanish in a while. Thinking about taking up Japanese, though (I'd use it a lot more that's for sure!). Aye-aye! Dear Cousin Trixie'll get hers…I have plans for her ('especially since she tried to **kill** Siri!). Mwahahahahahahahaha!! Wow…no windows?! That's gotta be rough. I have to ask…you don't by any chance have classmates with blood-imbibing tendencies, do you? ^_^ I'll keep your offer in mind if I hit a snag! Eh…she's a good person (I've known her practically our entire lives, after all) but **SOMETIMES**…

Jewel: Well, the poor dear _has_ been out of the loop for a while…^_^ Will do!

SilverWingPhoenix: I'll try…

SerinityRules: Yup yup. ~^__^~ As I said to Serinde, I can't **stand** keeping the pups apart. I blame my romantic fangirl heart.


	11. Waking Up

AN: Eh-he-he-he…Don't kill me, please? ::Looks about warily clutching an umbrella for protection:: No excuse for not getting this out earlier, save for the depressing existence of Real Life. Short, two chapters. Hope you like, haven't gotten it checked over.

He was in a familiar place…the sheets were crisp and cool under him, and the sunlight was rather bright, not surprising, given that it was early afternoon. Harry gave a small moan as he cracked open a single eye and made out the familiar blurry shape of the ceiling. 'Hospital Wing…the Senshi! SIRI! Cedric?!' He sat up abruptly, looking around frantically. No one…it was all a dream then…tears began to fall from Harry's eyes. It was then that he heard a furious barking from Mme. Pomphry's office, and her shouting. Harry scrambled out of the bed just as a large Grim-like dog bounded out of the office and jumped onto the bed and onto him.

"Siri! You're alive! You're really here…!" Harry shouted, accompanied by happy barking. He suddenly found himself being forcefully hugged by his Godfather in human form.

"Harry! Harry, Harry, Harry…" Sirius chanted, rocking with his godson on the hospital bed. "Not your fault, never your fault…" Harry tearfully pushed away from his Godfather.

"But it **is**! If I had used the communication mirror…" he began, only to be cut off by a sharp shake of Sirius' head.

"…Voldemort would have found another way to get to the Prophesy, and that stuttering fool of a _Minister_ would have continued to deny His resurrection." Sirius explained softly. "Life is full of 'should have', 'could have', and 'would have'. What's important is that I'm back, none the worse for wear, thanks to…thanks to…what the bloody?!" Sirius' face took on a confused expression. "I know _how_ I came back. I even know who _brought_ me back. Why can't I say it?" Harry, through the drying tears on his face, looked equally confused.

"Say what, Siri? Who brought you back? The S…the se…I know what you're talking about, Siri. What's going on?" Harry tried to say the words, but they refused to come out.

"Ah! I see you're awake at last, Harry." Usagi said softly. Both Sirius and Harry turned to see Usagi and Mamoru standing by the Infirmary doors.

"Queen Serenity! Why can't we say 'Senshi'…wait, I just said it. What's going on?" Sirius spoke out. The look on his face was too much for words, and Usagi collapsed against her husband in a fit of giggling.

"Standard security measure, Mr. Black." Mamoru said wryly. "The powers of my wife and her Court can only be spoken of explicitly when two conditions are met: the first is that one or more Senshi-approved persons are present, usually meaning only one of the Court, and the second is when all persons within hearing distance can be trusted."

"Oh."

"Okay…"

Usagi straightened up from where she was hanging off Mamoru's arm, and brought herself under control. "Right. First off, enough with the 'Queen,' 'King,' and 'Lady' stuff. We have names, use them." She glared at the two wizards, but smiled to take the sting out of her words. "Secondly, if you don't mind, can we talk, Harry? There's a lot you have to understand." Usagi then turned to Sirius directly. "And Mr. Black, it would be wise of you to go see your lover…his soul still pains. Be together, heal him, then we can speak of the taming of the Beast within." She smiled, and a bit of Cosmos shone through.

"'T-taming of the Beast'? You mean…?" Sirius was in disbelief. Usagi's smile grew.

"He has suffered long enough, I think. Yes, my daughter and I can lift the Curse." Sirius couldn't contain himself…he jumped up and caught Usagi in a hug, made for the doors, then turned back to his Godson. He was torn between running off to see Remy and staying with Harry. Harry grinned widely.

"Go, Siri! I'll be here…" With this pseudo-blessing, Sirius gave a happy jump, transformed back into Padfoot, and tore off out of the Infirmary. Harry was left looking bemusedly at the wildly swing doors, before turning back to Usagi and Mamoru. "So…we have, uh, stuff to talk about? Let's talk…"

AN: Again, so sorry for letting you people hang for a quarter. Bad decision-making on my part for the classes I chose. Go to next chapter for more Siri/Remy goodness!

SilverWingPhoenix: Good for you! You guessed right!

miko no tsuki: Yep! He's back! A ghost, but back nevertheless…

DevilWench: Thanks!

Hikaru: Glad to know I've been missed…^_^ The works suck, you say? So it's a good thing I've had no time to check out stories lately…Ooh…fight! Food fight or Fist fight? I prefer the former myself, but running away is good. Blackmail: always a good thing in moderation!


	12. A RemySiri Chapter

AN: Pure Siri/Remy chapter. Some Remy angst, but 's all made better.

Remus was in the bathroom of his…no, his _and Sirius'_ quarters. The meeting had just broken up for time being, after the startling reappearance of one very dead and ectoplasmic Cedric Diggory. His appearance had caused quite the ruckus, resulting in one fainted Boy-Who-Lived, now in the hospital wing, with Sirius, also in the Infirmary to be checked over by Mme Pomphry. It had been determined that the reason the Diggory boy was able to manifest was because of a flux in Pettigrew's powers when he had cast the _Avada_ _Kedavra_. Apparently, the rat had spent too much time as a rat (and his heart wasn't really into it, seeing as he was torn by the Life Bond with Voldemort and the Wizard's Debt with Harry) to properly cast the killing curse, so the rules for ghostly manifestations were slightly twisted. In addition, Cosmos and Saturn's presence had allowed the boy to return despite his initial 'passing on'…but that was neither here nor there. His mind was wandering again. It was just all so unbelievable, too good to be true.

Remus once again felt deep within himself, at the Bond. The Bond that was once again whole, and shone brightly. He gripped the edges of the sink and willed himself not to cry, not again. But his orders to himself were in vain, and the tears dripped freely from his eyes. Blindly, Remus waved his wand in the direction of the tub, and it began to fill with steaming hot water, smelling faintly of lavender, chamomile, and wood spice. He disrobed, and sank into the water up to his chin, tears still falling. His Mate was back…Padfoot was back, Sirius wasn't dead, and he wasn't alone. Siri hadn't left him…but he could still see the graceful arc that he made falling through the Veil that fateful day…could still feel the overwhelming pain as the Bond unraveled. He could feel the anguish that the months had been filled with…hear Bellatrix' cruel laughter as her cousin and _his_ _mate_ passed through the Veil…the all-consuming _despair_ that had clouded him as his heart broke once more, this time, he thought, irreparably and with an echoing finality… He could remember all the times he'd awoken, alone and screaming, from the nightmares that even Dreamless Sleep could not keep at bay…the all-encompassing _pain_ and _grief_ he'd poured into his howls in wolf-form, a Moony with no link left to his Padfoot to ease the transformation…

Remus was only dimly aware that he was sobbing openly now, clutching at the strong, familiar arms that encircled his shaking frame. Even with his heightened senses so near the full moon Remy hadn't noticed when Sirius had returned to their quarters, hadn't heard his worried questions, nor noticed that Sirius had disrobed and joined him in the tub. Only when those familiar arms had wrapped around him had he noticed that Sirius was murmuring comforting words to him, that his mate was real, and alive, and kissing his tears away as they fell. He caught those lips with his own in desperation, for reassurance, for love…things he'd never thought he'd feel again. The kiss quickly became heated, filled with everything that Remus searched for, wanted, needed, missed, _craved_, these months Siri'd been gone.

"Please…" Remus gasped out, clinging to Sirius. "Please…Siri…please…" Normally, this close to the full moon, the wolf was dominant. But this time, both man and wolf needed reassurance that they were wanted, needed, owned, possessed…they _needed_ a reaffirmation of their Soul Bond; Physical, Mental, and Emotional.

Sirius had been worried beyond belief when he returned to their quarters, and Remy hadn't responded to his calls. When he saw Remus' huddled form in the tub, the tears flowing in twin waterfalls down the too-thin, pale face covered with grief, all thoughts flew out the window in favor of comforting his Mate. He all but ripped his robes off and slid into the steaming water behind Remy, gathering the suffering form of his Mate into his arms, and trying desperately to soothe his pain.

"Shh, Remy, Love, I'm here. I'll never leave you again, I swear. I'm here, I'm back. I love you, dear heart. You are my life and my soul…" He held him in his arms and gently kissed the tears dry. "Please, Remy, my Moony, stop those tears. Feel the Bond, know that I'm here. I'm with you, and nothing will make me leave you again." He was surprised when Remus caught his lips in a feverish kiss, and tried to pull back when it escalated, but Remy wouldn't let him. And honestly…he needed this too. So as things quickly spiraled beyond thinking, Sirius made a mental note to share with Remy the good news. Later. Merlin…_much_ later. And all of Siri's higher thought functions happily succumbed to loving, and making love to, his Mate.

AN: Aww…::sniffle:: I didn't _want_ to make Remy hurt, honest! But this had to be written. Well, we'll just leave our two pups to get…reacquainted…now, shall we?


End file.
